Automatic display-merchandise show case



Aug. 26,1924. l

ESG. RUBY AUTOMATIC DISPLAY MERCHANDISE SHOW CASE Filed Dec. 16, 1922 A TTORNEYS Patented Aug. 26, 1924.

EARL G. RUBY, OF ST. JOSEPH, li'IISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC DISPLAY-MERCHANDISE SHOW CASE.

Application filed December 16, 1922i.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EARL GORDON RUBY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Display-Merchandise Show Cases, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic display merchandise show cases, and it consists in the combinations, construct-ions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described in which means is provided for automatically projecting vertical sections of a show case upwardly at will so that the contents thereof may be viewed above the plane of the top of the show case.

A. further object of my invention is to provide a` device of the character described that is capa-ble of supporting in a vertical plane a relatively large number of garments, and

in which entire sections thereof may be projected upwardly into view of the customer.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described that is extremely compact in form, and which provides a. most efficient manner of displaying garments, as well as a saving of time, as against the present means of displaying garments in individual horizontal drawers, shelves, and the like.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the followingspecification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which- Figure 1 is a front plan view of an embodiment of my invention with one of the vertical sections elevated,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 1,

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a sectional view along the line 4 4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 4.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a vertical show case 1 having a glass win- Serial No. 607,331.

dow 2 in the front wall thereof. The show case 1 is provided with a rectangular opening 3 in the top wall 4 thereof, the edges of which are in relatively close proximity with the edges of the top wall 4. The interior of the case 1 is provided with a pair of metal partitions 5 which are disposed in a plane parallel to and adjacent the side walls 6 of the show case. The partitions 5 extend from the rear wall 7 to the forward wall 8 of the case. rlhese partitions 5 are provided with inwardly extending integral ribs 9. These ribs 9 are formed by bending portions of the partition 5 outwardly and subsequently bending the partition back upon itself and .into the Original plane of the partition.

The adjacent inner walls 10 of t-he ribs are spaced apart so that a transverse partition wall 11 may be projected therebetween. The partition`walls 11 are of course disposed in a plane transverse to the partition wall 5 and to thel sides G of the show case, and serve to divide that space between the side walls 6 and the partit-ion 5 into narrow compartments extending vertically from the bottom of the show case 12 to a po-int adjacent the top wall 4, as indicated at 13.

A plurality of vertical display sections 14 are disposed between the partition walls 5 and separated from one another by the ribs 9 which also serve as guides or runners upon which the sections 14 may be moved in a. vertical plane. The top walls 15 of the sections 14 are slight-ly wider than the interior portion of the sections, and therefore the appearance of the adjacent sections from the top is that of a continuous surface broken only by the contacting edges of the top walls 15 of the sections.

The top walls 15 of the sections are also of sulficient length to entirely close the opening 3 in the top wall of the show case 1 so that when the sections are all down in the position indicated in Figures Q and 3, the show case is virtually sealed and no dust or the like may enter the show case to damage the delicate fabrics of garments which may be supported therein.

The sections 14 are constructed in precisely the same manner as the ordinary desk drawer, having a back wall 1G which corresponds to the bottom of the desk drawer. A pair of supporting hooks 17 are disposed on the inner side of the wall 16 so that garments 18 may be supported thereupon.

Each oi the sections 1st has attached to the outer side of the side Walls 19 thereof adjacent the lower end, a cable 20. These cables are arranged to pass over pulleys 21 which are disposed adjacent the upper end ot the vertical compartments 22 formed by the partition walls and 11. A sash Weight 22 is disposed at the outer end ot the cable 2O and Within the compartment 22. lThe combined weight oit the two sash Weights 22, which are associated with eachv of the sections, is greater than the Weight ot the section, so that the weights 22 will at all times tend to elevate the section 'from within the show case 1 to a position indicated by the section marked X in Figure 1. The end valle 19 ot the sections are provided with longitudinal grooves 23 which are arranged to receive the cable when the sections are disposed Within the show case 1, as indicated in Figure 3.

Means tor preventing the sections 14 from projection from the show case 1, when not wanted, is provided in a plurality ot pivotally mounted buttons 24, supported upon the top wall l of the show case, and one disposed in registration and arranged for engagement with each ot the opposite sides ot the sections 14. By manually turning these buttons 241v out et engagement with the top wall 15 ot the sections, the weights 22 will automatically elevate the sections so that the garments disposed therein may be viewed.

From the foregoing description ot the various parts ot the device, the operation thereot may be readily understood. My present invention is primarily intended to provide an eliicicnt means for displaying articles, such as waists and any other articles which may not be le't't upon the counter where they become quickly soiled.

1t will be noted that the transparent Window 2 in the show case 1 serves to present tor observation the articles in the first section le at all times. It, however, the customer desires to see more of the contents ot the sections, the merchant merely turns the buttons 24; manually, adjacent the section which he wishes to display, and the Weights 22 associated with that section will cause the section to be projected from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position generally indicated at X in Figure 1. Movement of this section upwardly may be totally uneX- pected by the customer and the edcct produced will be that of quick and efficient attention on the part of the merchant, a psychological condition which should not be unheeded in the art ot pleasing the customer, which of course is an important object that is striven 'for in a display device ot any lrind.

i further and most important advantage is that a relatively large number or" garments may be disposed in a relatively small space and at the instant call ot the merchant.

It should be understood that While I have shown and described a display in Which the rear wall 16 oit the sections is opaque, that l may use a transparent rear Wall and also provide a transparent covering for the front wall ot the section without in any Way departing from the spirit and scope ot my present invention.

1 claim A. device ot the character described comprising a casing having a transparent glass window in the trent Wall thereof, a plurality ot upright garment containing sections slidably supported in said casing, the forward section being visible through said Window, means tor selectively projecting said sections through a vertical plane to a position :n.ibstantially above the top Wall of said casing, whereby the garments in said sections may be viewed, said means comprising weights heavier than said sections, cables connecting said weights with their respec-y tive sections, pulleys disposed at the upper end of said casing ior supporting the inter mediate portion of said cables, and fastening means for normally retaining said sec-- tions in said casing against the action of said weights.

EARL e. nuev. 

